This Is Not Just Another Statement.

The National Youth Council of Serbia (KOMS), as the highest independent representative body of youth, stands in solidarity with all young activists who express their opinions and positions formally and informally, actively contributing to the development of society.

To date, KOMS has actively advocated for institutional protection of activists through its work within the Youth Council of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Council for Creating an Enabling Environment for the Development of Civil Society. In light of recurring incidents involving pressures on young people who express their opinions through protests, KOMS has taken the following steps:

• Creating an Overview of the Position of Young Activists, available in Serbian [HERE] and in English [HERE].
• Submitting the Overview of the Position of Young Activists to the advisory bodies of the Government of the Republic of Serbia: the Youth Council and the Council for Creating an Enabling Environment for the Development of Civil Society.
• Presenting the Overview to the European Youth Forum (YFJ) for adoption within its General Assembly, thereby making this document part of the official positions of the largest network of national youth councils and international youth organizations in Europe.
• Developing the Youth Manifesto for the Future of the Expanded European Union, a document addressing issues of political stability and peace, which serves as an advocacy foundation for a consortium of youth from EU member states and candidate countries.
• Organizing a series of meetings with representatives of domestic and international organizations and institutions to present the position of young activists and the challenges they face in their activities.

According to the Alternative Report, the highest percentage of young people—over 48%—stated that they participated in a protest organized by an association, students, informal groups, or citizens in the past two years. Close to 48% signed a petition or public initiative. However, young people participate significantly less in other forms of engagement due to their lack of trust in institutions. The exclusion of young people and the lack of systemic attention to their needs drives them to express their views and opinions through informal means, such as protests and petitions.

When institutional responses result in disproportionate punishment and an atmosphere of fear rather than fostering dialogue and including young people in formal mechanisms of participation, the gap between young people and institutions deepens. This leads to a profound misunderstanding between institutions and young citizens.

For KOMS and other youth organizations, it becomes especially challenging to continue promoting and advocating for the better position of young people through collaboration and dialogue with institutions.

For youth organizations to act as partners to institutions and participate in the creation of various strategic and legislative documents, it is crucial that the human rights of young activists are not threatened, and that institutions protect rather than persecute human rights defenders. The opinions and positions of young people must have a place within institutions, as their engagement on the streets is a consequence of systemic exclusion and mistrust in institutional work and outcomes.